


Foster

by thedisneydame



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Brothers, F/M, Foster Care, Semi OC- "Kristien" inspired by Young Kristoff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-16 18:31:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2280246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedisneydame/pseuds/thedisneydame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kristoff was 16, his mother died in childbirth, and he and his newborn brother were sent into the foster system. 6 years later, Kristoff and his girlfriend Anna’s lives are thrown askew when his young brother arrives on their doorstep, forcing both young adults into a position neither of them are ready for – parenthood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N- A fic that’s been a long time coming. This chapter is mostly set up, but it’s finally happening guys.
> 
> I'm excited.

_When Kristoff was sixteen, his mother died._

_She had been a kind woman, far to kind and frail for the world she married into. Her husband, Kristoff’s father, was her opposite, rough, loud, and unkempt. Their marriage was like a fair princess trapped in the clutches of a troll, at least as far as Kristoff was concerned. Kristoff always hated his father, and he was pretty sure that the feeling was mutual._

_But as strange and warped as it seemed to him, his parents seemed to be happy together, in a weird, not-entirely-healthy sort of way. They never seemed to fight over anything other than Kristoff and whether or not he was a complete failure. Thoughts of what his father could be capable of worried Kristoff constantly, but when he couldn’t even_ see _anything that was wrong, it was hard to try and do anything about it._

_When she fell pregnant with his younger brother, Kristoff couldn’t believe how genuinely happy the couple seemed to be. His father even lightened up on him, relieved that he now had another chance at an heir, who maybe wouldn’t be a complete failure this time! Not for the first time in his life, Kristoff wondered whether or not his family would be happier if he just went his own way._

_The new child was named Kristien,  because it always shamed his father that Kristoff should have his grandfather’s name, and when the time came that he should have a second born, he readily ignored the older son, giving the child as similar name as possible. For a while, things seemed to be looking up._

_Then tragedy struck, and Kristoff was left at the hospital to deal with the doctors, make arrangements, and take the newborn infant home, while his father ran off to god knows where to mourn the loss of his wife. Kristoff didn’t complain, his father was in mourning, and without his mother to keep him in check he didn’t want to think about making him mad. And anyway, he was sixteen; he could carry a baby without a fuss._

_He supposed he could feed a baby too._

_Could wash a baby._

_Dress a baby…_

_Change him…_

_He was sixteen, and he stopped showing up to class because he didn’t have the time. He’d learnt the hard way that he just couldn’t leave Kristien alone with his father; he’d thought the man was negligent_ before _…_

_He was sixteen, and he lost his job, which he quite honestly couldn’t afford to lose. His father was throwing himself into alcohol and television, and would probably be fired at any day, leaving them with no income._

_He was sixteen, and the little connections he had with people reduced to nothing- nobody wanted to associate with the latest episode of Teen Dad. (In the back of his mind, Kristoff lamented that he didn’t even get to do the_ fun _part, and yet he was living the nightmare that high school sex ed warned him about.)_

_Kristoff was sixteen years old, practically an adult. He could handle this, he was sure. But as time went on, Kristoff’s sanity started to chip away bit by bit, and he had to admit it – he needed help._

_He had gone out in search of financial aid, maybe some therapy for his father, something, anything to just_ help _along the way._

_He didn’t expect that he’d be taken from the house._

_But in retrospect, he wasn’t exactly surprised._

_He’d heard horror stories of the Foster program, but with father_ dearest _not making any claim or effort to get his either of his sons back, Kristoff and Kristien had no choice but to follow blindly into_ “The System” _._

_Kristoff wasn’t worried for himself, he was sixteen. He’d be out in a few years and he’d pretty much provided for himself to begin with. Kristien on the other hand, was a newborn, and if Kristoff couldn’t protect him then he would end up like one of those characters in soap operas; with abandonment issues and a messed up criminal record. More than anything else, Kristoff had to be sure that his baby brother was safe in a good home._

_According to the officials, that would be easy. A blonde baby boy was practically guaranteed to be adopted by budding parents._

_…But of course, a sixteen year old brother being attached to him would greatly hinder the child’s chances._

_It had been difficult, but to give Kristien the best chance he could, Kristoff cut off contact with his  brother, letting him be adopted into a family of old money._

_With his new life, free of family and babies, there came a lot of new things. Kristoff was taken into a group home that, while not entirely sane, was loving and accepting, which was far more than he had hoped. He changed schools, made friends, got a girlfriend, and the guilt he felt for letting his brother go slowly subsided into almost nothing._

_He never saw Kristien again._

* * *

 

6 years later

* * *

Dust speckled sunlight shone through the little window above the bed, shining a dull light onto the plain, rumpled sheets, and the figure under them. The sound of running water filled the air from another room, but otherwise the space was silent.

The phone rang.

From under the bed sheets, a man shifted, groaning.

“Kriiiiis! Can you get that?” from the bathroom, a pretty voice was encouragement enough for the man to reach out and grab the phone, bringing it up close to his face to see who on earth was calling before midday on a weekend.

_Unrecognised Number_

“Mn’hello?” He mumbled, his mouth still full of sleep.

“Good morning!” Said a bubbly, female voice that was entirely too cheerful for any time of the day let alone 8:30 in the god damn morning on a _Saturday_ , “I’m looking for a Mr Kristoff Bjorgman.”

“Speaking.” His tone was flat, and slurred with sleep.

“Eeeexcellent,” The woman drew out her vowels like an adult doting on a child, “I’m calling on behalf of the Foster Association.”

Kristoff rubbed his eyes, “Foster...? What do they want?” He hadn’t been involved with those people for four years – not since he had come of age.

“We’re looking for a home for a child, sir. And we are obligated to-“

“Wait, what? Child?” Kristoff’s body was finally waking up; they wanted _him_ to adopt some little tyke?

“Yes! According to this he’s your –“

“Whoa, okay. Look, I’m _really_ not interested. Thank you for your time, but I really don’t need some kid on my hands.”

“…Well alright then.” The voice said, more solemn and dejected from Kristoff’s denial, “Sorry for bothering you sir, it’s a formality to contact the next of kin when a home falls through.”

He had been about to hang up, but he paused at the woman’s response. “Wait, _Kin_? What?” He didn’t have kin, had he heard that right?

Unless…

…They couldn’t possibly mean…

“Kristien Bjorgman? According to this he’s your younger brother, his shared house was recently shut down and he’s in need of a new home.”

Kristoff stood stock still, phone in hand, his heart frozen still after hearing the name of his long lost brother, “Holy shit…” He mumbled, before remembering he was still on the phone, “But… no, Kristien was adopted. There must be a mistake or something…”

The woman on the end of the line cleared her throat, Kristoff could practically see the nervous expression on her face “Well, uhm..." there was a rustling of papers, "according to this he _was_ adopted but there were some… complications.”

“What kind of complications?”

“It looks like a long story” She said, “The first family that fostered him sent him back after they had their own child. Since then he’s been bouncing from home to home. The most recent house was shut down for… well, we don’t need to get into that. But he is in need of a new place to stay long term.” There was a long moment of silence, “Um, Mr Bjorgman?”

Kristoff felt a little like he was floating, his mind was reeling with thoughts, when his name brought him back to the ground, “Sorry, what?” He said, shaking his head a little to alert himself.

“Do you have any interest in housing your brother?”

“I, uh… _fuck._ ” Did he? His mind was still reeling, wrap his head around this. The only reason he’d let Kristien go in the first place was that he was unable to take care of him properly. Was he ready now? Did he want to? Kristien was- holy crap he would be in school by now wouldn’t he? The thought of his baby brother being anything but a tiny little bundle in his arms made Kristoff's mind implode a little… it was all overwhelming, he needed to think!

“I – I don’t know. Can I have some time to mull it over? Get more information? Talk to my girlfriend?” His voice was a strained, and a touch to loud. He couldn't think straight.

“Of course. I’ll email you Kristien’s files to look over. We hope to hear from you soon.” The woman cried, her cheery voice back, not seeming to be put off by Kristoff’s stress at all, “Have a great day!” She chirped.

“Yea…” Was all Kristoff could mumble, before hanging up the phone, leaving himself alone with his thoughts.

There was a long moment of silence as the phone slipped from Kristoff’s fingers down onto the mattress. He fell back on the bed and groaned, bringing his hands up to rub his face. He had tried to think as little as possible about his old family over the past seven years, especially Kristien. Now all his suppressed guilt for abandoning his brother, and those _memories_ , and these _emotions_ … they all came flooding back. Jesus Christ. _Kristien._

_He’s still in the system._

_Those bastards lied to me._

“Kristoff you have _got_ to stop buying two in one hair wash.” The bubbly voice from earlier called, it’s owner walking out of the bathroom, rubbing her strawberry blonde hair with a towel, dressed in worn yoga pants and a baggy shirt, “I know it’s cheaper but I need-“ The young woman trailed off when she saw the sorry looking blonde collapsed on the bed, “Hey…  you okay?”

Not turning his eye’s away from the ceiling, Kristoff replied with a steady voice, “Not sure.”

She stood there for a second more, and when it became clear that Kristoff wasn’t going to say anything else, the red head let out a huff, walking over to the bed and fwomping down, right beside him. “What’s up?” She asked, her eyes fixed on the same point on the celling as his and a warm grin on her lips.

Kristoff sighed, his hand sliding down to take wrap around her slender fingers, “Anna, how do you feel about kids?”

She took a few seconds to answer, “Kids are cool, I guess. You’d know more about them than me, but kids are cool.”

Kristoff nodded, listening, “How do you feel about… having kids?”

This caused a subtle blush to stir across Anna’s freckled cheeks, but she responded, “I- I mean... I’d like to have them… someday. Like maybe in a few years or something when I’m a proper grown up…” She turned her head to the side to look at him, a silly smirk across her face, “Why? Are you pregnant or something?”

Kristoff scoffed, “Shut up Anna I was being serious.”

“You shut up, I was trying to lift the mood, grumpy guts.”

Kristoff let out a chuckle, his tension and worries starting to slip away.  His eyes peeled off from the roof, to Anna beside him, wonderful, beautiful, perfect Anna. She somehow had the innate ability to make him feel better, even when panic and concern were gnawing away in his mind.

With a small hum, Kristoff rolled over, onto the small woman beside him, ignoring her faint groan of protest from the sudden weight. He buried his face her shoulder, smelling the strawberry scent of the soap from her shower on her, and wrapped his arms tightly around her sides, hugging her close.

“I love you…” He mumbled,

Anna chuckled lightly, running her fingertips through Kristoff’s hair “I love you too, but stop getting distracted and tell me what’s wrong. I have to admit I’m curious with the mysterious phone call and the kid talk and stuff, it _really_ sort of sounds like you’re pregnant.”

Kristoff let out a groan, sliding down the bed slightly, so his head rested on her chest. He moved his head to rest his chin in between her breasts and peered up at Anna’s cornflower blue eyes, “Do you remember my brother Kristien?” He mumbled.

Anna’s eyebrows raised, and she shifted a little under Kristoff’s weight – He so rarely spoke about his birth family, “Uhm, yea. You’ve told me about him a few times… sixteen year age difference, he got adopted, and… you haven’t seen him since.”

“Yea, well, it turns out he wasn’t really adopted. And… they want him to come live with me- us, I guess.”

Anna’s blue eyes widened, “Oh my god… I don’t want to keep saying it but you are totally pregnant.”

Kristoff scoffed, “I am not! He’s six years old!”

“Same difference. It’s as pregnant as you are ever going to get.” Anna smirked.

“ _Anna_.” Kristoff said, with as much seriousness as he could muster (though there was a hint of amusement in his voice), “I’m _serious_. This is a big deal.”

He was right of course; the idea of them adopting some strange kid was scary. While Anna had oftentimes fantasised about starting a family with her partner, she’d always pictured the kid being a little bundle in her arms, most often times a cute little girl with cherry cheeks and her father’s eyes. She didn’t picture some stranger, who wasn’t hers and who she didn’t get to see grow from nothing. And she was only twenty one! That’s not nearly old enough to be a mother!

She let out a huff, tucking her damp hair behind her ear nervously, “Do you think we’re actually ready for… can we really take care of a kid? I can barely take care of myself, but a six year old? I couldn’t…”

Kristoff sighed, “I know… but I just… I don’t know what to do! I can’t just _leave_ him in there, but you’re right, we can’t take care of a kid! And I can’t just force that on you all of a sudden…” He groaned, running his hand through his hair, “I’m kind of freaking out! I mean it’s my brother and gigantic life choices and it’s 9:30 and I haven’t even taken a shower yet!” He let out a large groan of frustration, rubbing his face with his hands, “I don’t _know!_ ”

“ _Hey_.” Anna said, her voice both soft and firm as she took Kristoff’s jaw in her hands, forcing him to look at her as she ran soft and gentle fingers across his stubbly cheek. “Don’t freak out. It’ll all be fine. Just- take some time. Go take your shower and do whatever and let everything brew for a while, there’s no rush ok?”

Kristoff’s face softened, shoulders slumped, and he returned Anna’s smile, leaning forward to rest his head on her shoulder. Anna’s arms crept around the blonde’s large torso while his hands gently traced down her waist.

“I love you.” Kristoff said again, melting into Anna’s arms.  She was right – life decisions should never be made split second at 9:30 on a Saturday.

So they went about their day as usual, ignoring the elephant in the room. Kristoff received an email full of the information about Kristen, and his decision became even harder. If he was alone, he would take the child in without a question – he wouldn’t abandon him the same way he’d done years earlier. But Anna was with him, and Kristoff couldn’t force her to change her whole life for his sake, nor could he bring himself to even consider giving her up.

Anna was scared to say the least, and if she had been given the chance to adopt this strange child she would have declined in the blink of an eye – she didn’t want to raise some strange kid! She would be a horrible mother!

But then, on the other hand, it wasn’t just any strangers kid, it was Kristoff’s brother, and while that didn’t mean anything to her, it meant a lot to him. She tried to imagine Elsa being a kid, needing her like Kristien needed Kristoff, and she could see how important it was that she support his decision.

When Sunday night rolled around, the couple were lolling on the couch, leaning lazily against each other each other, when Anna spoke, “He looks just like you, you know.”

“Who?” Kristoff asked, looking down.

“Kristien.” Anna said, “I saw the email.”

She didn’t mention all the other stuff that was in there, that made her feel sick to her stomach for all the poor boy had been through. She figured Kristoff didn’t need reminding.

Kristoff shrugged, “I thought he looked more like my mother, I take after my dad.”                                 

“I’ve seen pictures Kristoff, you totally look like your mum.” She assured.

Kristoff gave her a small smile in thanks, which led to a long moment of silence. Kristoff shifted his weight around, before letting out the question he’d been holding in, “If I wanted to take Kristien in, what would you say?”

“…Kristoff.”

“Keeping in mind, we’d be payed compensation for all his expenses.”

“Kristoff…”

“And if he ever became too much for us to deal with, we can send him back. We wouldn’t be adopting him, just taking care of him. Fostering.”

“Kristoff.”

“We’d just be like – trying. I feel like we should at least try. And if we can’t then we can say we tried, rather than forever wonder if we could have…”

“Kristoff!”

The blonde stopped, looking down to Anna, laying in his arms. Anna smiled up at him, running her hand across his chest.

“It’s your call. Whatever you want, I’m behind you.” She said, her voice clear, cornflower blue eyes staring up at him with unwavering certainty. Not certainty that she could raise a child, no, definitely not. Certainty in Kristoff, that he would make the right choice.

Kristoff let out a breathy laugh, moving forward and kissing Anna, fingers brushing along her cheek. Anna hummed, running her hands along her partner shoulders. “You’re welcome.”

“Are you really sure you’re okay with this? I mean, to be honest you’re probably the only thing that could really stop me from making this possibly horrible decision.” The blonde brushed the gingers bangs into place with gentle fingers.

“Yep. Any and all disasters that come from this kid will henceforth rest firmly on your shoulders.” Anna poked at his chest, smirking.

“That’s comforting.” Kristoff grumbled, then pursing his lips for Anna to close the distance. Anna obliged, she kissed him once, twice, and then more, little kissy sounds filling the air.

“Hey.” Kiss. “Hey Kristoff.” Kiss.

“What?” Kiss.

The red-head pulled away, a cheeky look in her eye. “Let’s have a baby.” She grinned devilishly, arms slinking around Kristoff shoulders.

Kristoff cocked an eyebrow, “We’re not ‘having a baby’, we’re fostering my brother.”

“Same difference.” She mumbled, eyes falling shut as she kissed him again.

 


	2. Chapter 2

_One week later_

_Tick, tock, tick, tock…_

Kristoff tried his best to ignore the clock, ignore the fact that there were only minutes left before his little brother was due to arrive. There were only minutes left until the life he’d left behind six years ago would be at his doorsteps, carrying with him all those memories he’d tried so hard to forget. There were only minutes left of his care free young adult life, minutes until he becomes, technically, a parent.

There were only minutes for him to change his mind.

“You’re biting your nails Kris.” Anna said, sitting down beside him on the sofa.

“Yeah well, you were probably biting your lip a few seconds ago.” Kristoff said, grateful for the distraction.

“Was not.” Anna pouted.

The conversation died as quickly as it had started, and Kristoff’s mind went back to the time. How long would it take for him to crack? How long until he was deemed unfit to parent? How long would Anna be willing to put up with his stupid family drama? How long until this whole thing blew up in his face?

“Kristoff…” Once again, Anna pulled him from his self-destructive thoughts, taking his hand in hers and forcing his eyes away from the clock, “You know you’re doing the right thing, right?”

“Of course… why wouldn’t I know?”

“ _Kris._ ” And there was a tone in her voice that made him question why he attempted to hide anything from her ever.

The blonde shook his head a little to clear it, letting out a sigh. “It’s the right thing to do.” He said, with more confidence this time, because logically it was true. He knew that he couldn’t do nothing, he knew that this was the best course of action…

“It’s also the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.”

Anna rested her head on Kristoff’s shoulder, squeezing his hand in comfort. Over the past week there had been a lot of stress and work, but she knew that Kristoff was getting the worst of it. No matter how hard it was for her, it wasn’t her family, her history, which was being uprooted.

Not this time, at least.

Kristoff was just nervous, understandably, but this was nothing they couldn’t handle, they’d been through worse together. And he’d gone to hell and back for her, time and time again. For the first time, it was her turn to be leaned on, to help push Kristoff in the right direction, and she was ready for it.

There was a knock at the door, Anna and Kristoff both bolted upright. From the bedroom, Sven came trotting in, intrigued by these new footsteps he’d never heard before, and the promise of visitors. Kristoff and Anna exchanged a nervous glance as they readied themselves for whatever was behind that door.

“I knew you were biting your lip.” Kristoff said, smiling nervously and pointing to her teeth, which were chewing violently on her glossed lower lip.

Anna covered her mouth, letting out a small and breathy chuckle, “You just focus on not fainting on the steps, numbnuts.”

Kristoff smiled, but it quickly faded has he took a deep breath, turning to the door, ignoring the twisting in his stomach, the tightness in his throat. “Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Anna said, giving Kristoff’s sweaty palm a final squeeze as he took a last breath and opened the door.

“Good morning sir, madam. I’m here on behalf of the child protection agency. My name is Gilbert Wessleton, and I’m sure you know that this boy here is Kristien.”

“Nice to meet you.” Kristoff said, though he had never found it more difficult to speak a simple sentence. He simultaneously wanted to do nothing but stare at the small boy at Wessleton’s side, and at the same time, turn and run. “Please, uh, come in.”

Wessleton entered, looking as pompous as some Old English King, Kristien followed him quickly, eyes glued to the floor. Kristoff felt a strange pain rise in the back of his throat.

It hurt to look at him. He’d seen photos, and knew what the boy was going to look like, but now he was actually here, _real_ , in front of him. Kristoff thought back to seven years ago… he had only been a baby in his arms. So fragile and tiny…

Not to say that he wasn’t still tiny, Kristoff realised that he could probably still carry the boy in one arm, especially considering that he had a lot less baby fat around his arms and belly than was normal… should that worry him?

…Probably, yeah.

“Hi Kristien.” Anna said, a big smile on her face, and Kristoff felt a wave of relief that Anna was so good with people – he wouldn’t have to carry the conversation, “It’s nice to meet you! Do you know our names? I’m Anna, and that over there is Kristoff.”

Kristien made to respond, but was quickly distracted by the large dog – almost as tall as him – that was curiously smelling him from head to toe. Anna let out a small giggle, “And _he’s_ Sven! He’s very friendly, and he doesn’t bite or anything. Do you like doggies?”

Kristien nodded softly, lightly petting the dog’s head. Behind him, Wessleton screamed.

…Which of course only got Sven more interested in the short old man

“Get that _thing_ away from the boy at once! He’s going to attack h- AH! He’s coming after me! No! Back beast, that is _quite_ enough.”

Kristoff tried to hold back the irritation in his voice, though he was suddenly overcome with the urge to throw the old social worker out a window. “Sven is harmless!”

“He nearly attacked me! _And_ the boy!”

Kristien looked up, and quietly said, “I don’t think he-“

“QUIET boy. Speak when you’re spoken to.” Wessleton snapped, Kristien sunk backwards, shrinking in on himself.

“Hey! Don’t talk to him that way!” Kristoff said, his nerves quickly being replaced by irritation, as he was quickly coming to the conclusion that this Wessleton was the second worst person he’d ever met.

“I will talk to the children I protect as I wish, and I do not like your tone.” Wessleton sneered, though it was hard to seem intimidating to someone who was twice your size.

“Okay now.” Anna said, coming between the pairs stare off, “This got off to a bad start. How about we take Sven outside, and then start this whole thing over. Okay? Kristoff,” She said without waiting for a response, “Can you help me put him out?”

Kristoff didn’t know what Anna was getting at, but he obeyed, following the red head out to the back door.

“Come on Sven.” He said, and the dog let out a little whine before following obediently, stopping only to grab his favourite carrot shaped chew toy.

When they were out of sight, Kristoff hissed “Can you believe that guy? I can’t believe he’s supposed to work with children, the complete and utter ass – .”

“Kristoff.” Anna said, a serious look on her face, “Seriously, calm down. We can’t piss off this guy too much.”

“Is putting dog hair in his tea too much?”

“Shhh!” Anna hissed, though a touch of a smile was hidden in the corners of her mouth, “We don’t want the people who call the shots having a freaking vendetta against us or something Kris. Promise you’ll keep it together?”

Kristoff groaned, “Promise.” He grumbled, “But I’m going to complain about it after.”

“As if I could stop you.” Anna smiled, stealing a quick kiss before heading back to the living and dining room.

By the time Wessleton was finally out of the house, he had managed to try even Anna’s patience. He constantly prattled on about how he was descended from nobility, how he’d been working on Kristien’s case since he was a baby, and how he had absolute power do deem whether certain foster carers are _suitable_ parental material. His idea of suitable, it seemed, was to ignore the child as much as possible, because whenever Kristoff or Anna (mostly Anna, Kristoff was still fighting the urge to run) tried to talk to, communicate with, or even smile at the Kristien, they would be reprimanded for not listening to his ‘very important information’.

Eventually though, the pair managed to get the old man out of their house, sighing heavily with relief when the door was finally shut.

“If I ever have to see that asshole again it will be too soon.” Kristoff muttered.

“He certainly gave an excellent introduction to the foster system.” Anna said, a tired smile on her face, “After him, I’m sure anything else that comes our way will be a complete breeze!”

The two shared a laugh, and were surprised when they heard a third little giggle coming from the couch. Kristien was sitting in the same spot he hand been sent to hours earlier – Wessleton hadn’t allowed him to move. When he noticed that the two adults were looking at him, he quickly stopping his giggling and sunk further into himself.

Not for the first time, Kristoff felt the need to say something to his newfound brother, but what? “ _Hey Kristien, sorry for abandoning you as a child and leaving you to horrible foster homes and a pompous freak of a social worker for six years. That was my bad._ ”

So instead he stayed silent, thankful once again for how talkative Anna was.

“Okay Kristien! Sorry about that, I know you were probably bored. Don’t you have an ipad or a game boy or something?”

Kristien shook his head, and Anna’s face fell a little. “Well, okay then, do you remember our names?”

He nodded, “Anna and Kristoff. And your dog is Sven.”

“Correct! Oh that reminds me, we’ve got to let Sven back in! I’ll go do that while _Kristoff_ gives you a tour of the house!”

“Wait – what?” Kristoff turned to Anna accusingly, but the red head only smiled deviously.

“Yeah! It’s the perfect chance for you two to get to know one another. You have a lot of catching up to do – six whole years. Go on!” She gave Kristoff a quick nudge, and whispered so Kristien wouldn’t hear, “You’ve got to talk to him, sweetie. You’ll thank me later.”

And with a quick turn and a whisk of her braids, she was gone.

Kristoff took back everything nice he ever said about Anna. She was a sadist.

“Okay…” Kristoff said, and it hit him in a wave of humiliation that the first word he’d said to his brother in over six years was ‘okay’, “So… I’m Kristoff.”

Kristien nodded. “Anna told me.”

“Right, yes she did. She…” He trailed off, completely choking on his words, feeling bile in his throat. More than ever, the urge to flee was overwhelming him. “This is the living room, it doubles as a dining room.” He said, rushing through his sentences, pointing to the small dinner table to the left. “Over there is your bedroom, and the room next to that one is ours. Uh- follow me.” He said, beckoning the young boy through the small hallway to the other half of the house. “Kitchen’s over there. Bathroom, laundry, and through the laundry is the back door, which makes retrieving dogs a RATHER QUICK JOB.” He shouted, because he knew Anna was listening.

Kristien flinched at the sudden shout, and Kristoff felt his chest contract – had he scared him? “Anyway, that’s the house.” He rushed, stepping away from his brother, running a hand through his fringe. He could hardly breathe through this feeling that was weighing down on him like stone. He wanted to run, he didn’t want to look at Kristien. He wanted to scoop Kristien up into a blanket like the infant he remembered and assure him that it was going to be okay, that he wouldn’t leave him behind again. He wanted to forget he even had a brother. He didn't know what he wanted!

“Yay! Such a good tour!” Anna said, emerging from the back door, with Sven at her side and a bright smile on her face. When she saw the daggers in Kristoff’s eyes though, her smile dropped. “What?”

“If you have any questions you can ask Anna. I’ve got to...” He mumbled, not registering what excuse he was using, before quickly bolting to the bedroom.

“Kristoff!” Anna called, starting after him, before remembering the little boy who was currently petting the dog. She couldn’t just lock him out on the first day. Reluctantly, she turned back to Kristien, “Sorry about him… he’s having a rough time.”

Kristien shrugged, focusing on running his hands through Sven’s coat. Anna bit her lip, toying with the end of her plaits, “So… uh- _do_ you have any questions?”

“Where does Sven sleep?” He asked, in full seriousness.

Anna giggled a little, “Well he’s supposed to sleep in the laundry, but Kris is such a softie that he normally ends up on the bed. He loves animals – between him and I it’s amazing that we don’t bring home every stray we see.”

“So I’m the exception then?” Kristien asked, his big, blue finally looking up at Anna.

The red head felt her throat go dry, “I – What?” She stammered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about… you’re not a… stray. You’re – you’re family.” She whispered.

Kristien pouted softly, fiddling with his hands and scuffing his feet on the floor. “He’s mad at me though…” the young boy mumbled.

Anna gasped a little at the idea, “No! No he’s not _mad_ at you. What makes you think that?”

Kristien shrugged, his eyes locked onto the floor once again. Anna sighed, and knelt down to Kristien’s height, whispering so Kristoff wouldn’t overhear – she was sure he wouldn’t want her telling Kristien about him, “It’s not that he’s mad – It’s just… hard for him. He hasn’t seen any of his family for six years and then suddenly he’s got you again, but you're all different too, and you're bringing back all these memories he forgot. It’s a bit overwhelming and he doesn’t know what to do about it – or about you. It’s all confusing for him, understand?”

Kristien nodded, though if he was honest with himself he had no idea what she was saying.

Anna smiled, glad that the young boy understood, “Great, now… let’s get some of your stuff unpacked.” She said, leading Kristien into his new room, lending Kristoff some time to cool down before she confronted him again.

* * *

Kristoff was lying face down on the bed, willing himself to evaporate from existence. He didn’t bother looking up when he heard the door to the bedroom open – from the weight of the steps, he could tell it was Anna.

“Kristoff.” The redhead said softly, and the blonde could hear a soft smile on her lips, “Are you feeling ok?”

“No.” Kristoff said honestly, “This stupid kid and his stupid face – I can’t be in the same room as him!  I feel like I’m bloody sixteen again.”

“Do you think we should send him back to another foster home?”

“I don’t know what to think.” He muttered, face still not raised from the pillow.

Anna bit her lip, and sat down beside her boyfriend. Gently, she placed a hand on his back, “I’m sorry for the stunt I pulled with the Sven, I should have thought that through more… but I think I have something here that might cheer you up.”

Without looking, Kristoff could tell she was stifling giggles, “And what magical thing is that?”

He felt Anna place something next to his face- something light, and soft, that smelt strangely familiar. Finally, he lifted his head to get a good view of what had been placed before him. It was an old plush toy. He sat up, toy in hand, and gave Anna a deadpan look, “How does an old stuffed reindee-“

Suddenly it all came flooding back, and Kristoff’s eyes opened the size of saucers. His mouth in a firm ‘o’ shape, he looked down again at the toy reindeer – _his_ toy reindeer.

“Holy _shit!_ ” He cried, memories of his childhood flashing behind his eyes, “Anna _where_ did you get this?”

Anna was giggling like a madwoman at this point, “Kristien had it!” She said, “And I put two and two together. I figured since this thing shares a name with your dog that it meant something to you.” The smile on her face was a yard wide. “So, do you like it?”

Kristoff just sat, his eyes wide and slightly glassy as happy memories of his childhood with the toy washed over him – memories he had long since forgotten about. “Anna…  you don’t even _know_ how much… after all this time… I named my _dog_ after this thing!”

Anna chortled, “Yeah, I had a good long laugh about that. You complete dork.”

Kristoff blushed lightly in embarrassment, still turning the old toy back and forth in his hands. “I can’t believe it…” He said, chuckling to himself.

“Is it really that bad, having some of your old life back? Sure there are bad memories but…” The red head held out the small doll, playing with it in her hands, “There are some good ones too, right?”

Kristoff buried his face into Anna’s shoulder, nuzzling his nose against her neck, “It’s fine really… It’s just… cold feet or something – I don’t even know how to talk to him.”

Running her fingers deftly through Kristoff’s hair, massaging his scalp, Anna sighed, “You never know how to talk to people when you first meet them. When you first met me you barely spoke at all.”

“Well yeah, that’s because you were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen. I was nervous!”

“See? You get chocked up all over a pretty girl – of course it’s really bad when you meet your brother for the first time in years! You’ve just got to get comfortable around him, and then you’re chatty as a Chihuahua!”

Kristoff laughed, shaking his head, “You are just… amazing, Anna.”

“I try.” Anna shrugged her shoulders, a smug smirk on her face. She placed her hand along Kristoff’s jaw, pulling him closer and gently kissing him. She let out a small sigh as Kristoff’s hands fell into their spot right on her waist, and he let out a small hum of satisfaction. When they pulled away, Anna gave his shoulders a quick pap. “You ready to leave this room? Kristien is playing with Sven, I’m sure that’s something you two can bond over.”

Kristoff let out a small chuckle, “Yeah,” He said, in all honesty, “I think I could manage that.”

* * *

“One of us should probably learn how to cook, since we got a growing kid on our hands.” Anna mumbled to Kristoff, rifling through the pantry for any kind of substantial dinner food. “How about… a can of corn?”

“Why do we even have a can of corn? Why would we buy that? We don’t cook!” Kristoff was sprawled on the couch, hogging all the space, with Sven lying on his front. He scratched the mutt’s ears absentmindedly, “Let’s just eat out.”

Anna appeared from the kitchen doorway, hands on hips, “Well excuse me for wanting to be healthy.” She said haughtily, before softening with a grin, “So pizza?”

“Sounds good to me.” Kristoff said, before calling out “Does that sound good to you kid?”

Kristien was sitting on the sofa, eyes glued to the television, chewing the strings of his hoodie absentmindedly. When Kristoff called his name, he turned, “Huh?”

“Pizza, kid.” Kristoff said. It still felt strange to talk to him so casually, and he still had that strange twisting sensation in his stomach, but as the day had gone by he’d gotten more and more comfortable around the young boy. “If you’re hungry for something else then just-“

“No no! Pizza is good.” Kristien said, an eager look in his eye, “Pizza’s very good.”

Kristoff couldn’t help but smile at that, “Great.” He said, sitting up with a grunt and taking out his laptop, “You want to pick out the toppings?”

Hesitantly, Kristien nodded, crawling up on the couch and sitting next to the older man. Kristoff went to the website and went through the different types, letting Kristien pick his favourites, and then any extra toppings he wanted. Plus a soda.

When the food arrived, Kristien watched, eyes wide, as Kristoff paid the man at the door, and was given a large cardboard box.

“Anna! Grub’s here!” He called

Anna jogged out, already dressed in baggy pyjamas, her hair out of her usual twin braids, “Gimmie.” She said, plonking herself down on the table. She grabbed a slice, taking a bite out of it before catching herself – she should have served Kristien first. She swallowed, blushing a little, before getting out a slice and putting it on a plate for Kristien. “Here you go.” She said.

Kristien looked at his slice, then up to Anna, before mumbling a “thank you” and taking a bite.

“Is it good?” Kristoff asked, a grin growing across his face.

The young blonde nodded, chewing thoughtfully, fully invested in his slice. Kristoff smiled, leaning back into his seat and grabbing his own serving of food.

They ate for a while, in silence, both Anna and Kristoff watching as the young Kristien ate away. He took a large bite, chewing furiously before catching the eyes of the adults, at which point he paused, shrinking in on himself a little, and chewing slower. _He’s really skittish, isn’t he?_ Kristoff thought, _Though it’s to be expected – he’s been in some rough situations._

“Do you want another slice?” Anna asked, breaking the silence at last. Kristien’s eyes widened in wonder, he held out his plate, “Yes.” He said, before catching himself and adding a “…Please.”

“So.” Anna said, handing Kristien a second slice, “First thing’s first, you need some new clothes, Kristien. You’ve barely got enough shirts to last a week, and all of them are very worn” She turned to Kristoff elbowing him, “Should we go to the shops tomorrow? We can stock up on actual food while were there.”

“Sounds good.” He responded, before turning to Kristien, “What else do you need? Clothes, maybe some books and stuff for school, we could even get a few toys while we’re there! That sound good?”

Kristien nodded slowly, his eyes half shut and his mouth slowly chewing his food. _Oh,_ Kristoff thought, _it’s like, 8:30 isn’t it? Six year olds should be asleep around this time, right?_

“Are you getting tired, kid?” _I’ve got to stop calling him kid_ , Kristoff thought. Kristien nodded a little, his half-eaten slice of pizza finding its way back to his plate.

Ok so, before bed he needed to take a bath right? Kids took baths at night. And he needed to brush his teeth… bedtime story? They didn’t have any kid’s books – add that to the list of things they should buy.

He lead Kristien to the bathroom, thankful that Anna had bought a house with a bath – could six year olds even take showers? He turned on the water, and poured in some of the bubble soap that Anna loved so much. He kept getting things; a towel, a fresh toothbrush, his pj’s, as the water rose, stopping to check that the temperature was staying not-too-hot-or-cold. “Is this alright?” He asked Kristien, the boy stuck his hand in, and nodded. Kristoff turned off the taps.

“Ok, well uh… you don’t need any help or anything right?” He asked, running a wet hand through his hair. Kristien shook his head, and Kristoff let out a relieved sigh. “Ok then, I’ll just leave you to do your thing…” He said, slipping out the door to give Kristien privacy.

…Okay maybe the privacy was more for his own benefit. Sure he’d changed the kids diapers and stuff when he was a baby, but still…

Kristoff let out a sigh, was he doing alright? Or was he just making things worse by not doting on the kid enough? And shit – this was only the first day! This emotional rollercoaster had all been in under twelve hours – was that even possible!?

He sat down by the kitchen table, rubbing his fingers against his forehead. He didn’t even hear Anna enter, until she asked, “Where are our plastic thingies?”

He looked at her, raising an eyebrow, Anna was standing with the box of pizza against the counter. “The thingies for the leftovers.” She elaborated.

“Oh, right… third drawer down.” Kristoff said, pointing to the draw in question. Anna opened it, and picked out a plastic tub, packing the remains of the pizza neatly inside.

“You coping?” She asked.

Kristoff nodded, “Pretty much.” He heard a sloshing noise coming from the bathroom, and remembered the number of little kids that drowned in their own tubs at home, “Hey Kristien, you okay in there?” He called out.

“I’m good!” He called, appearing minutes later from the door, dressed in worn and baggy pyjama’s, at least two sizes to big. His hair was soaking wet, leaving dripping bangs flopping over his eyes. “I need a stool for brushing my teeth.” He said.

Kristoff sighed, his brother was pretty dang cute. He got up out of his chair, carrying it with him to the bathroom.

Anna followed, putting her hands on her hips, “Jeez Louise Kristien! Did you dry your hair at all?” She grabbed a towel, wrapping it around Kristien’s head and scrubbing. “You’ll catch a nasty cold if you don’t dry your hair.” She muttered.

“Hurburhurrurur” Little noises escaped Kristoff’s mouth as Anna rubbed him down with the towel, shaking his head and squishing his cheeks in the process. Anna let out a giggle, unable to withstand the boy’s adorableness.

His hair dry, his teeth brushed, and everything prepared for bed, Kristoff carried the little tyke to the bedroom. By then was so tuckered out he could barely keep his eyes open. He lay Kristien down on the bed, Anna tucking the covers over him and giving him Toy Sven to sleep with.

Kristien yawned, rolling over and clinging to his toy. And oh, he was so very cute… Kristoff felt himself soften, and there was this… this… _feeling_ …

He quietly led Anna out the room, shutting the door as silently as possible.

Oh, he felt like he was about to collapse.

He _feared_ what actual fatherhood would ever do to him.

“Well, he’s pretty self-dependant, at least.” Anna said, crossing her arms softly. “He’s not a little baby…”

“Yeah…” Kristoff smirked, it was still hard to believe that that little kid was the same one he’d taken care of all those years ago… “Do you… think we can actually do this?” He asked, honestly unsure himself.

Anna smiled softly, “I think we have to, for his sake.”

Kristoff agreed, despite their promise that they would send Kristien back if thing’s ever got too stressful, despite all his panic and anxiety, despite that part of him that was even now urging him to run away… he didn’t think he could ever bring himself to leave him again.

Letting out a sigh, Kristoff stepped closer to Anna, wrapping his hands around her frame and resting his chin on her head. “I love you…” He murmured into her hair, “Thank you for putting up with me and my shit.”

Anna wrapped her arms around Kristoff’s frame, squeezing tight. “I love you too.” She said into his chest, “And I love your shit too.”

“That’s gross.” Kristoff said, before chuckling.

Anna scoffed, and slapped him across the arm, “Booooo! Way to ruin the moment!” She cried, through she was laughing too.

“Shh, shhh.” Kristoff insisted, pushing a finger to her lips, “You’ll wake Kristien.” He whispered.

Anna made a silent “Oh.” before following Kristoff away from Kristien's bedroom to their own, tiptoeing all the way.

One day down.


End file.
